Little worried.... do we have a blue lemon?

umm hows the weather?

cold weather will kill the mileage and chicago gets pretty cold

 

Hello and Welcome to PriusChat!

As a fellow new owner, (my car is two months old today) I understand your concern about your mileage and your fear that of all the Prius' out there you may have gotten the only lemon.

First of all, unless you are withholding some major information about your vehicle (like the doors fall off whenever you go faster than 10 mph) I am willing to go out on a limb here and reassure you that you and your car are just fine.

Mileage is impacted by where, when, and how you drive as much as it is by what you drive. For instance, a car driven here in sunny Southern California, even with the recent rains, will still get somewhat better mileage in the dead of winter than a car driven where you are in Chicago. Colder weather has a negative impact on mileage.

I am not an expert on this, but I am assuming it is because it takes more energy to get the engine up to optimal running temperature and maintain it, when the ambiant temperature is extremely cold (below 30 degrees +/-) than it does to do the same in warmer climates.

Also, short stop-and-start commutes, hilly terrain and driving style all contribute their fair share to the mileage puzzle.

Fear not! As you become more used to how to optimize your driving style (coasting as much as possible, avoiding jack rabbit starts, and possibly adjusting your commute route to better utilize the geography to assist in your mileage quest), your car breaks in (remember, these cars have about a 20,000 mile break in period - that does not mean that your mileage will stink for that whole time, but it does seem to mean that the more you drive the better things will get) and most importantly, the weather warms up things will most definately improve.

One of the things that can be a bit of a hinderance, more than a help can sometimes be the ability to see what your MPG is overall on a tank of gas.

33.4 MPG is still a respectable number, especially when you factor in all of the aforementioned challenges. No, it is not the 51/60 the EPA touts, but that is not to say that it won't be.

It really is true that the first few weeks and months with your new Prius are fully equivalent to becoming a parent for the first time. Every hiccup, every gurgle, every little snort or sound awakens a flurry of concerns.

For most parents they remain just that, concerns. Never materializing into anything more serious. So it is for most Prius owners. I still get that little stomach dropping feeling everytime my ICE (internal combustion engine) shuts off when I sit at a stoplight. After having spent all of my car driving life (and all of my automotive passenger life to boot) associating that sound and feeling with disaster, it does take a bit of training to realize that all is still well and this time, in this car that sound and feeling are a good thing.

Bottom line, relax, enjoy your new baby...err...car. I strongly doubt you found the only real lemon hidden amongst the gems. Very few are that "lucky".

Take care,

Tisza

 

Well said Tisza

 

I'd suggest a road trip. 40-50 miles at 70MPH on a flat road, then find a 55MPH max return route. If that doesn't boost the MPG reading, then it needs more break-in...

 

It's probably the cold weather. Take heart; spring will soon be here.

And, umm, you're not driving in "B", right? There's no place in or near Chicago that calls for it.

 

Be sure to check your tire pressure, can make a big difference. Also with the weather warming here in Chicago you should see an increase.

Wayne

 

I hate to say this, but don't push the gas and brake so much. You will eventually learn that when you see the light change yellow up ahead to let off the gas and coast up to the light, gently pressing the brake when you get there, perhaps even catching it green when you arrive.

Keeping the car at a constant speed helps a lot for any car. Also, on a Prius, avoiding the lead foot makes a HUGE difference because lead footing the accelerator causes the ICE to start up instead of just the electric and lead footing the brake causes the friction brakes to kick in instead of the regen braking. Learning to avoid the lead foot has caused me to go from high 30's to low 50's in MPG. (I still use ALL of the power for on ramps, though).

Rumor has it if you drive like there is an egg under your foot that you are trying not to break, then MPG goes up dramatically. (For both brake and gas).

Oh yeah, and cold winters in Chicago don't help either.

Nate

 

Gas Mileage

I just signed on this site because I want to purchase a Prius because of wanting to get higher mileage than I am currently getting on my present car.

I live in West Hollywood and commute to Glendale which is about 12 miles one way. Should I get good gas mileage? It is stop and go traffic both to work and then back home - all surface streets.

I am asking because I have read a couple of places on this site that short jaunts might not give you the best mileage.

Thanks.

 

WeHoPriusGuy

you will get better than any other car you can drive. but it wont be great. stop and go traffic is the toughest challenge for anyone. you need to coast between the lights as much as possible keeping in mind that if you have to use your brakes at all, you are going too fast.

 

I agree with the idea of waiting for warmer weather (and checking your tire pressure according to John1701a).

With the addition of a curved line in the right place, you could drive past DePaul in Chicago and your car would be a blue demon! :roll:

 

One clue to the poor mileage performance may be the total miles, only 500, driven during the month. If it means that you take a lot of short trips, which do not allow the engine warm up to its optimal operating temperature, that has an adverse affect on the car's economy.

In addition, in my first few months of ownership, I found out that displaying and paying attention to the "Consumption" screen on the MFD resulted in considerably better fuel efficiency.